


A New Friend For Robin Mills

by 29PheonixLement



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, mid 7x22
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-29
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2019-05-15 05:31:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14784432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/29PheonixLement/pseuds/29PheonixLement
Summary: From landing in the past to being talked into baking cookies to now being stuck in the middle of a jealousy with herself Robin Mills just needs some time away only to meet up with a familiar blue-eyed little girl wandering around the Storybrooke woods. Just because I wanted more time with little Robin.





	1. Chapter 1

Part of her knew she was being childish in angrily stomping out of the house with her bow and few arrows sling across her back leaving Alice pouting after her without even giving the blonde a departing kiss like she normally would. Robin just couldn’t help it. The female archer was jealous of her five-year-old self no matter how much she told herself she wasn’t.

At first, it had been cute watching how easily Alice had become wrapped around her younger self’s finger in the short amount of time it had taken for her mother to come around to believing them about what was going on then to make the drive back to their little house just at the edge of town.

So of course, when little Robin had announced that she wanted to make cookies with and for her new friend before they left to go be heroes as soon as they got back home Alice had jumped at the idea leaving older Robin and Zelena still sitting in the driveway while the pair dashed off toward the little farmhouse before the car was even properly stopped.

“Hey, babe want to come help too?” Alice questioned talking over her shoulder at them when Robin and Zelena had crossed the threshold to find the two bakers had already taken over the little kitchen with mixing bowls, baking sheets and measuring cups.

Margot couldn’t stop the giggle from slipping out when she looked up from her sulking glare at her own shoes to see that Alice was coming over to her with that heart-melting smile on her chocolate smeared lips and a freshly made candy apple in her hands. “What am I going to do with you?” the archer questioned winding her arms around Alice’s waist as she leaned in half licking half kissing away the melted chocolate around her lover’s mouth. “Come help make cookies while your Mom’s taring the house apart although Wonderland knows what she’s looking for this time.” Alice prompted offering a batter coated spoon to her smirking true love.

An offer that was all too tempting to the arrow-toting brunet when Alice pulled that adorable pout on her but one look over the blonde’s shoulder at her glaring younger self had Robin shaking her head shifting her bow and her quiver back across her back.

“I’ll be out back.” Was all she could say in answer stalking toward to the back door that lead to the woods.

***************

“I’m sure other me is fine.” Little Robin shrugged talking around a bite of a cookie she’d help bake while watching Alice glance between the back door and the wall clock when lunchtime came and went with no word from older Robin and now it seemed that dinner time would be just as radio quiet.

Alice had even gone out back herself with little Robin jogging along beside her trying to find where her sulking archer had gone but after two hours of wondering the trees with no telltale sounds of arrows hitting a target the blonde had been forced to turn back to the house thinking that maybe Robin had just snuck past them and would already be waiting for them.

“Maybe she just forgot her phone.” The younger girl commented pushing herself up, so she was sitting on the kitchen counter beside the cooling cookie trays.

Alice shook her head her eyes glued to the cell phone in her hands hoping that if she just looked long and hard enough it would somehow change the ‘no new messages’ text to something else. “You always take your phone with you when you go out shooting love. Ever since that one time you nearly gave Zelena and I a heart attack when you didn’t come back to camp cause you fell into that sand snare thing and we barely found you in time before it suffocated you.” Alice explained leaning against the counter beside the younger version of the woman she loved.

“Like quicksand?” young Robin asked feeling Alice shuddered at the memory while the younger girl continued swinging her legs against the kitchen cabinets while she munched on another cookie. “More like constriction sand but yeah.” The blonde agreed looking pitiful as she laid her head against the young girl’s shoulder needing the comfort and immediately feeling younger Robin’s fingers twisting and twirling her hair around her fingers just like her Robin did while the pair waited for the latest batch of treats to finish cooking up.

“You know if you eat any more of those you’ll spoil dinner.” Zelena scolded her daughter while giving Alice a kind-hearted smile to try to brighten the pouting blonde’s mood. “Everything alright dear?” the mother questioned a light-hearted laugh bubbling up when she noticed some of the cookies the pair had whipped up were made into flying monkey and witch hat shapes along with arrows and a few misshapen but still recognizable rabbit and rooks with more than a few hearts both real shaped and what people think a heart looks like all of them complete with icing and sprinkles piled up on a plate on the kitchen table.

“She’s upset cause other me isn’t back yet and its almost dinner time.” Little Robin explained now braiding Alice’s hair for her.

“Have you tried calling her?” Zelena prompted but Alice shook her head earning an annoyed growl from young Robin when the braid shed just finished shook loose. “When she’s out practicing no matter for practice or wanting to be alone target practice Robin hardly ever uses her phone, but she keeps it with her for emergencies.” Zelena nodded at that but rolled her eyes as she pointed a disapproving finger at the blonde shifting the laundry basket in her arms over to rest against her hip instead. “And what about this little scene right here doesn’t scream that it’s an emergency call?” the mother pressed seeing how close to worried tears Alice was by this point.

Before Alice could think of a better answer than ‘cause it just isn’t.’ her phone rang.

“Nobin.” The adventurous half sobbed in relief at the caller picture of her Robin’s smiling face filling her screen when she’d picked up the call to hear a groaned and playfully annoyed “Tower Girl.” In return from Margot on the other end of the line.

“See I told yeah.” Younger Robin joked pulling on Alice’s jacket until she had moved the distracted blonde over so Alice was sitting on the floor in front of the sofa with Robin behind her still trying to braid her hair while Alice accidentally put the call on speaker phone in excitement.

“Mind bringing little Robin and your amazing self down to the castle?” Robin answered, “Little me know the way here.” She continued just as her younger self squealed excitedly with a happy “I know that place my cousin Henry takes me there sometimes.”

“And cookies you said your friends had cookies.” A younger voice called out in the background making Alice nearly drop the phone in surprise. “And bring some cookies to please.” Robin laughed “See you soon babe.”

“Who was that other girl?” Little Robin asked following Alice’s shaking footsteps as the pair headed back to the kitchen for the asked for cookies.

“She was....that was me…. when I was your age.” Alice stammered in answer.


	2. When Robin Finds Little Alice….

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin's half of Chapter 1 after she left the house.

After ten minutes of walking farther into the trees than she’d intended Robin seemed to remember that the practice range she’d been hunting for the one her Mom had set up for her, so she could improve her archery was in the backyard of “The Emerald Acres” back in the Enchanted Forest not in the Storybrooke woods and more importantly wasn’t build yet cause she was currently wondering around her own past.

With a defeated shrug the archer dug into her pocket for her phone when she noticed a thick enough tree trunk that would serve just as well as a cleared range and a target thinking that as long as she was out here she might as well get some practice in before lunchtime as she scrolled through the apps for her music.

Six rapid-fire shots in and one lull in a song later Robin’s honed ears picked up the drifting sounds of some familiar and choice swear words being yelled out somewhere close by. Notching an arrow just in case and pocketing her phone but leaving the already shot arrows still embedded in her makeshift target Robin jogged deeper into the trees on the hunt.

“If my Papa were here you’d be firewood by now you mean old tree root. Let me go.” An annoyed growl hissed acting like a siren call to the searching archer. But it couldn’t be her. It was just too crazy to even be thinking it. But Robin wasn’t about to stop just because something seemed mad. Not when the little girl seemed to be in trouble.

“Need some help their little one?” Robin asked fighting to keep from laughing at how adorable the wild-haired young girl was struggling to free herself from an upended tree root that had entangled her foot. “No.” the trapped blonde snarled only glancing up toward Robin’s general direction to answer her, but one look was all it took for Robin to recognize that angry glare she’d last seen sent in Henry’s direction when he forgot to add the ‘And other places.’ Bit when introducing Robin’s true love to some of their newer friends back in Hyperion Heights.

“Okay. Fine. Yes, please I would like some help.” The younger- maybe five-maybe even closer to seven-year-old the watching archer guessed- version of Alice called out in defeat after only managing to work her foot in tighter.

Robin nodded replacing the arrow in her quiver and her bow across her back before jogging over to the pouting blonde finally getting a better up-close look at Storybrooke’s newest addition. It was her Robin was even more sure of it when she was met with those same watery ocean colored eyes she loved so deeply. “I’m going to have to cut you out Little Rook, but I’ll be as quick as possible okay?” Robin explained pulling out a hunting knife from her belt once she’d given the tree root a calculated inspection.

Alice’s eyes widened at the nickname “My Papa calls me that sometimes.”

Robin nodded remembering how Rogers would still call her Alice his little rook from time to time when they were playing chess over phone calls. “I’m a friend of your Papa’s.” it wasn’t really a lie considering how close Robin had been both with Nook or once they were cursed how close Margot had become with Rogers once she and Tilly started dating.

“How is he? Is he looking after himself? I miss him so much, but I can’t get close to him without hurting him.” Little Alice questioned obviously considering Robin a friend in knowing such a well-guarded secret as her Papa’s pet name for her. “He’s alright and yes he is looking after himself, but I know he misses you just as much as you miss him.” Robin answered honestly as she worked.

“I’m Alice. Alice Jones.” The blonde introduced politely remembering her Papa’s lessons on manners when meeting new people.

“Names Robin but some people call me Margot with a T.” the archer answered her eyes flickering upward to hold those hypnotizing blue eyes she adored so much as she cut away the last of the wooden trap from around her foot.

“Why do you let people call you Targo when calling you Robin is better?” Alice questioned curiously holding out her hands to let her new friend help her stand.

“Cause the t is at the other end and it’s like a fun nickname like when your Papa calls you his little rook.” Robin laughed trying not to roll her eyes at her cursed self’s nickname. In truth she really did like it but only when Alice was the one calling her that. After all when they were still cursed Robin remembered with slight pride a time when her cursed self gave Detective Rogers a hard punch in the arm that had left him unable to uses his good hand for a good five minutes the only time he’d dared used Tilly’s nickname for her even in passing.

“Targo Robin.” Alice said trying the names out with a grin “I like it.” She nodded seemingly not upset at all when Robin refused to put her down and instead carried her back into the trees. “Me too.” Robin smiled now understanding perfectly why her Alice was so attached to her own younger self as little Alice cuddled up to her winding her arms around Robin’s neck to help steady herself in the archer’s arms as the pair headed back to Robin’s little makeshift archery range, so the archer could collect the rest of her arrows.

“How did you even get here?” Robin questioned hating that she had to put the younger Alice down in order to pull her arrows free of the tree. Thankfully the younger version of her true love was just as clingy to her as younger Robin was to grown-up Alice if the tight cuddling hold around her waist was any clue.

“I think it was some kind of magic, but I’ve been too scared to think about it much cause magic just ends up hurting people.” Little Alice answered peeking up at Robin then hiding her face once again in the archer’s stomach.

Robin debated for a few seconds just content in carding her fingers in those honey-colored locks she found so adorable no matter which Alice was sporting them even if she wishes they would be a bit wilder that how the younger Alice was wearing her hair at the moment well brush and only lightly messy from her trip from her tower to the woods surrounding Storybrooke and then her struggle with the tree root. “How about we not think about the bad magic right now and go have some fun instead?” she offered kneeling down to she was eye level with her younger true love. “And we can meet up with some friends of mine and we’ll all have cookies and figure out everything that’s happened together huh?”

The idea of cookies did the trick Robin had hoped for bringing that wide goofy adorable smile to Alice’s lips as the young girl was all but vibrating with excitement “I love cookies.” Alice nodded but then stopped looking down at her dirt-covered hands with a frown. “but first can we find a stream, so I can at least wash my hands from all the dirt from fighting with that mean tree?”

The archer couldn’t hold back a giggling laugh at the question but forced her face into a more serious expression once she noticed how serious this Alice was. “Of course.” She promised swinging the younger Alice back into her arms then setting off in search of a water source.

***************

They’d ended up at the rebuild Storybrooke park before Robin was satisfied with the water quality to let her down to clean the dirt from her hands. “Curiouser and Curiouser this place of yours Robin.” Alice mused her cheeks still a soft shade of pink from when Robin had to pick her up again, so she could reach the sink after rubbing a generous amount of soap into her hands.

“The strangest.” Robin nodded pulling her phone from her pocket while watching her little love run off toward the castle-like playset with a pleading “Come on Targo.”

“I’m coming little rook I just have to call my friends to get them and the cookies here for our party.” Robin chuckled not realized until her picture came up on her screen both just how long she’d been away and how much she really missed her Alice.

“Okay.” The younger version called back as the line ringed again waiting to connect while Robin followed the blonde toward the swings as the call was picked up.

“Nobin.”

Robin felt her heart drop like ice in her chest at the pained mix in her Alice’s voice as she answered “Tower Girl.”


	3. Jealousy Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fair warning this chapter gets just a little bit m rated toward the end when the grown-up Robin and Alice meet up again if you read between the lines but just wanted to give you a heads up cause I didn't really want to change the entire rating just for this chapter.

Alice and mini Robin chose to walk to the park both talking down Zelena’s repeated offers to drive them instead.

“Really Mom we’ll be fine. Alice won’t let anything bad happen to me just like I won’t let anything bad happen to her.” Robin nodded happy with her argument as she loaded the plastic tub of cookies into her backpack and slung it over her shoulder.

“I know she won’t my little Picasso.” Zelena nodded pulling Alice into a motherly kind of hug that Alice returned with only a mild hint of hesitation.

“Mom…” the five-year-old groaned at the nickname but wrapping her short arms around both hugging older women. “You give good hugs.” Alice hiccupped her eyes holding Zelena’s as she whipped her eyes with the cuff of her- well really it was older Robin’s- jacket letting out a small trey eyed laugh at the younger girl’s wanting to be included “But between you and me I like yours better.” The blonde continued in a stage whisper sending Zelena a playful wink over the top of Robin’s head causing the mother to muffle her laughter behind her hand when Alice knelt down only to have the five-year old’s arms thrown around her in a tight challenging but still comforting hug. “My Alice.” Little Robin whispered nuzzling her face against Alice’s shoulder.

Without really thinking about it Alice scooped up the five-year-old spinning her around in another hug. “We’ll be back soon.”

“Will you set another place for other Alice?” younger Robin asked noticing the table was already set out with seats for both her older self and Alice already.

“Of course, I will.” Zelena nodded “But be sure to tell my other older daughter she’s already late for dinner and I’m not above grounding her when she gets home won’t you?” the mother wondered with a teasing raised eyebrow that had Alice hiding a laugh against younger Robin’s shoulder while Zelena handed over the backpack of snacks she’d made for the little trip. “But I’m not going to be grounded right?” Little Robin clarified nervously making the other two let out twin laughs “Not this time my little Picasso.” Zelena assured her.

“How about we let your mom drive us out but then we get out and walk before we hit the park so Nobin and little me think we just walk super-fast?” Alice jumped in wanting to spend a bit more time with the woman she’d come to think of as a surrogate Mother to her even during the curse. “And that way we have more energy to play before dinner time.”

Little Robin cast a glance at Zelena then back to Alice seeing the same agreeing smile before nodding and letting herself be carried out to the car by the beautiful blue-eyed blonde she was kind of definitely crushing on.

***************

“So that pretty blonde on you magic talking phone is really me when I’m a grown-up?” Little Alice clarified once Robin was finished telling her just who the friend she’d called to meet them really were. “Uh-Hu.” The archer nodded while she tilted her chin back to peek up at young Alice’s reaction “And I get to meet you at my age?” the intrigued little girl probed liking the low hum the pretty archer was making whenever her fingers found their way into her hair.

“I think you might be a year or two older than little me right now but yeah around the same age.” Robin clarified sitting up just enough on her elbows to let the humming blonde beside her finish untangling her messy braid then laid back against the pillow she'd made from her- well Tilly's-rolled up jacket. “Oh, look at that one Robin it looks like a monkey that somehow grew wings.” Alice giggled pointing up over their heads. “Good thing it’s not a real one.” Robin agreed with a small smile at the fluffy misshapen cloud.

“Haha, monkeys can’t grow wings silly.” Alice scolded matter of factly. Robin was about to gently argue back on that point when the sound of running feet against the uneven rocks around the parking lot cut into their conversation.

“Come on pretty Alice race you over to the swings.”

“Hang on little knight. First I have to find my Robin and tell her about what your Mom said about her being late for dinner.” Robin’s heart rate skyrocketed at the playful bite having returned to her Alice’s musical voice since that phone call asking her to come. “And second you told me this place had a castle you didn’t say anything about it having a climbing frame that looked like a dragon as well.”

“I wanted it to be a surprise.” Little Robin defended.

A quick peek over the side of their hiding place –camped out on the deck of the pirate ship themed jungle gym just across from said dragon climbing wall- showed that both older Alice and younger Robin had yet to make it past the start of the munchy ground of the park or even to look their way at all.

“Last one to the top is the ship’s Power Monkey.”

“Nu-uh.” Little Alice growled making the other two to spin around hunting for the source her voice as her upset words seeming to echo in the quiet calm of the park. “I’m the Captain and I say Robin’s the first mate.” Younger Alice commented standing up with her little hands already fisted against the side of the wooden ship still seething from annoyance.

“Then can I have permission to go talk to the newcomers and tell them so myself Captain Jones?” they heard a giggling older Robin ask while the archer herself stood up on her knees right beside the upset blonde resting her chin against little Alice’s shoulder.

The elder Alice wasn’t ready for the white-hot jealousy now clawing at her insides seeing such a tender moment with the love of her life cuddling another girl like that. Even when it was just herself when she was around little Robin’s age. “I think I can talk at least one of them into surrendering what we want.” Her Robin continued in a stage whisper against little Alice’s ear with a flirtatious wink in her direction that the older Alice almost hadn’t caught in her conflicted state.

“Permission granted first mate Robin. Just don’t come back without our treasure” Little Alice smiled leaning back comfortably into the circle of Robin’s arms but pointing to the backpack her older self still had slung over her shoulder and making the adult Alice even more jealous while she was at it as she watched her love-struck archer obediently solute her younger self and slide down to tube slide.

“Yeah about that.” Alice mused only just returned her Robin’s welcoming smile with a small one of her own making the approaching archer pause in her steps.

She knew that tone. Add to it the still jealous spark Robin noticed in her stormy blue eyes meant that she was about to throw out a curve ball while the hesitant archer watched her lover handing off the pack to her younger version who immediately took off running back toward the dragon.

Robin gulped not knowing if she should be more intimidated or enticed at the icy fire she was now looking into as she caught the makeshift sword Alice had just tossed her in the form of a short stick.

“Dragons don’t give up treasure that easy so if you want those cookies First Mate Robin. You’re going to have to fight for them.” The older blonde shrugged spinning her own ‘sword’ in her hands.

Robin only groaned in answer inwardly scolding herself for not realizing her love wouldn’t find some way of venting her feelings about the archer being MIA a good part of the day no matter how innocent it turned out to be. And without access to proper privacy vea a locking door and preferably soundproofed walls, this seemed to be one of Alice's more playful way if expressing her upset. 

“En garde then Dragon Girl.”

 


	4. Bonding Over Cookies

Little Alice had been so fascinated watching older Robin her seemingly elegant movements each time she’d attack or the one or two times she needed to go on the defensive each move flowing into the next. She was so wrapped up in each of older Robin’s playful smiles when the mock fight eventually dissolved from actually battling one another to the two adults simply laughing together while chasing the other up and down the other side of the park that the younger blonde had momentarily forgotten about the other half of her older self’s little team.

“Erm…H…hi.” A new voice stammered out from behind her.

The little squeak she let out in surprise made the older brunette’s head jerk around in concern and even had older Alice seemed genuinely worried until she like Robin realized why the younger blonde had been startled.

“Sorry.” Little Robin whispered taking a few hastily steps backward only to feel the new blonde’s hand around her wrist to catch her when she felt herself start to fall having tripped over her own feet to move away. “Hi.” Her rescuer smiled just as shy as Robin seemed to be as she hastily let her go and began to fidget with the end of her dress as if trying to make them lay perfectly while she hid behind her long hair.

“My names Robin.” The five-year-old introduced letting the heavy bag against her shoulder drop to the side between them as she held out her other hand hoping the cute blonde wouldn’t notice how shaky it was.

“I’m Alice.” The blonde chirped as she held and dropped Robin’s eyes taking the outstretched hand in her own “and you’re my Nobin.” Younger Alice corrected her cheeks a deep pink as she pointed toward the archer now hanging upside down from the monkey bars seeming to be closely whispering with the taller blonde sitting under it but who were actually in the middle of a rather heated kissing session all thoughts of their earlier fight forgotten and forgiven. “She’s pretty Robin. So that makes you new Robin.” Alice reasoned looking back into the younger Robin’s forest green eyes. “That’s what pretty Alice calls the bigger Robin sometimes.” She explained “and other Robin calls pretty Alice her tower girl.”

“Want a cookie.” The five-year-old smiled hurrying on when the mention of the tower brought a painful look to the blonde’s eyes folding herself down to sit with her back against the side of the wooden boat to dig into the backpack beside them. “I helped make them.” She added with pride pulling out the container as Alice knelt down to sit across from her self-consciously smoothing out the skirt of her dress.

It wasn’t until Robin noticed how pretty and pink Alice’s face was again that she realized she’d been staring at her all this time as she handed over the heart-shaped cookie she’d pulled from the container to her new friend.

“And by help you mean eat the dough before we could start baking them up.” The older blonde teased climbing up to join the pair still hiding out on the deck of the pirate ship.

“You ate more than me.” Little Robin countered earning twin giggles from both Alice’s when her voice went up several octaves as Older Robin hopped up over the side of the ship.

“Why do have little wood chips in your hair?” Younger Alice asked around a bite of her cookie gesturing to the little bits of the playground’s walkway still clinging to the archer’s tangled hair.

“No reason.” The adults answered together hastily busying themselves with grabbing a cookie then saying anything more about it.

“Papa let us get a tattoo?” Young Alice asked in awe immediately noticing the dark-colored image embedded against the skin of other Alice’s arm when she leaned out of her Robin’s arms toward the little clear box with the cookies in it.

Older Robin winced at the dark haze starting to cloud her loves eyes when Alice followed her younger self’s gaze to the ridden-up cloth around her right wrist covering the spiraled mark she’s tried so hard to keep covered up. The one keeping her from being with her Papa. The mark of the Poisoned Heart.

“How about we take these for the road and head home before Mom sends out another search party?” Robin jumped in before her Alice could do more than draw in a shaking breath and blink away the start of tears from her eyes.

“Yeah, we forgot about dinner time.” Her younger self agreed jumping to her feet with half of a hat shaped cookie in her hand. “Are you okay pretty Alice?” Little Robin wondered helping the younger Alice to her feet noticing that the once bubbly giggling older blonde was now quiet and huddled tightly against her older self’s side like she was scared someone would take her away.

“Just hungry but she’ll be better once we get home to Mom’s home cooking.” The adult Robin commented leaning in to whisper something to the still shell-shocked blond seeming to be melted against her side as she collected her bow and quiver.

“Mommy’s cooking is magic you’ll feel better in no time pretty Alice.” Younger Robin vowed not letting go of younger Alice’s hand once they’d all climbed down from the playset and started toward the parking lot. “And don’t worry she’s not evil anymore like everyone else says she is she’s really nice.” The five-year-old added swinging her and young Alice’s hands between them as they walked.

Before little Alice could ask what, she meant the four of them were blinded by the glare of car headlights and a mildly threatening but still upset call of “Robin Margareta Mills you are in big trouble young lady.” As the four of them squint into the light to make out the outline of Zelena Mills leaning against the front of her car with her arms folded over her front and a scowl across her face.


	5. Turning on the Mills Charm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to start calling Older Robin and Alice by their curse names of Margot and Tilly just to keep myself and hopefully my readers from getting too confused at who I'm talking about when I have both sets of Robins and Alices in a scene together.

“How many candles do you use in this realm? How can the flams go on and off like that?” Little Alice asked staring in amazement at all the lights up and down main street so late in the day as she pointed at the stop light in confused awe as the light changed suddenly from green to red. “That’s called a traffic light and its run by lightning not candles.” Little Robin jumped in to answer not upset at all about the almost rapid-fire questions her new cute friend had been asking and now happier than ever that she talked the other pretty blonde into sitting up front with her Mom giving her a better view of all the new things Storybrooke had to show her while letting little Robin have the chance to cuddle up beside pretty Alice as she sat between the two adults in the backseat.

“It’s powered with electricity not lightning.” Other Robin corrected in a low grumbling tone her fingers toying with the zippers on the backpack in her lap. “There technically the same thing love.” Pretty Alice commented sending both Robin’s a playful wink as she rested her arms across the backrest both to cradle little Robin against her side and to give her Robin the chance to hold her hand. A chance the archer wasn’t about to pass up bringing a jealous growl from her younger self.

“It’s a kind of good magic that doesn’t require the use for candles.” Zelena simplified seeing that the younger blonde wasn’t following any of what they were saying as the car slowed to a stop at the light. “It’s a kind of safety magic actually and the lights keep us from having accidents as we get from place to place.” The mother continued pointing out the windshield at another car coming into the crossroads that they would have hit had the light not changed.

“Curious….” Was all the young blonde answered not knowing how to feel at the motherly smile the driver was sending her as the magic light changed back to green and the metal carriage they were in started moving again.

***************

“Maybe you shouldn’t have had that last cookie Kid.” Margot exclaimed noticing how fidgety her younger self was being the closer they got to the house. “But I have tah get out.” Robin complained pulling at the seatbelt again trying to undo it. “Please.” Her younger self begged when the car came to a stop in the driveway. “Okay.” Margot agreed trying to remember a time in her younger years when she was ever car sick.

The answer came as soon as little Robin’s feet touched the ground as she raced around to the front passenger side to pull open the door for her new friend. “Very smooth Kid.” Margot laughed but quickly following suite ignoring the eye roll she was getting in answer as both she and little Robin avoided the watery-eyed smile Zelena was sending them as they helped their respective blondes out of the car.

“Thank you…..Nobin.” Little Alice whispered her eyes flickering between Robin’s face and the ground blushing a deep pink at the hand she was holding “You’re welcome. Tower Girl.” Robin beamed as the two (still holding hands) followed Margot and her Alice to the back of the car to retrieve the bow, quiver, and backpack they’d stowed there before the drive back to the house.

“Alright you two, go wash up Monkey.” Zelena sighed trying to be stern but failing miserably at the tooth-rotting sweetness of both couples.

“Okay, Mom.” Both Robin’s said together as all four started toward the house both holding hands with a giggling Alice as Zelena followed after holding back even more happy tears at the sound of her daughter’s duel groans and harmonizing laughter in return.

“Hold on young lady.” Zelena scoffed holding Margot back with a tight hand against her shoulder pulling her back around to face her. “You might be a lot older than I’m used to but you're still my daughter.” The mother explained and the other three immediately noticed Robin’s shoulders and head drop.

“Un oh.” Younger Robin whispered turning back in the little walkway between the door and the living room then immediately shrinking back against younger Alice’s side when Zelena’s hand extended in wordless anticipation. “Not magic Mommy can’t use it anymore.” The five-year-old whispered noticing how her newest pretty friend stiffened and winced at the prospect no doubt noticing the mildly annoyed look the mother with giving her grown-up daughter.

“Yes, Mom.” Robin agreed handing over both her bow and the small collection of arrows without lifting her head to meet her mother’s gaze. “Thank you.” Zelena smiled leaning forward to press a ghost of a kiss against her ‘little girl’s’ forehead “Now go wash up all of you while I get dinner sorted.” She ordered playfully shooing them toward the hallway that leads to the bathroom.

***************

“Hey, mini-me whatcha up to?” Margot wondered watching in mild amusement at how her younger self was grumbling to herself as she tried to stand on her tip toes to look back at herself from the hallway mirror. “I can’t get it to stay.” Little Robin whined almost falling onto the floor as she spun to face her older self while both Tilly and Alice finished their turn in the little bathroom both wanting to look presentable for the ‘first dinner with the parent’ and in younger Alice’s case ‘a dinner with her first friends ever that wasn’t in her tower’.

“Can’t get what to stay?” Margot chuckled glancing between Little Robin and her mother trying to get some clue “I want to look grown up like you, but this silly braid won’t stay put.” The younger brunette complained throwing her hands up in frustration “I can do it good when I did Pretty Alice’s hair, but I just won’t stay with mine.” She pouted just sitting down in the middle of the floor to sulk.

“I said I’d help you Monkey but I have to get the rest of dinner ready first honey.” Zelena sighed from the stove still in the process of reheating the meal she’d prepared earlier.

Margot smiled at the whined “But I want to do it myself.” From little Robin as she knelt down behind her younger self making quick work of a simple braid in seconds “How’s that?” she wondered taking the mirror down so little Robin could see it for herself. “Thank you.” Little Robin whispered waiting until the mirror was replaced on the wall before giving Margot the first hug between them since she and Alice had dropped into the past. “No problem kid.” The elder archer grinned feeling a weird kind of glee as she hugged the five-year-old back.

“Wow, you look adorable darlings.” Zelena smiled pulling the pair's attention to the two blondes smiling sheepishly at the motherly praise

“Thanks.” Both Alice’s whispered mirroring the movement of brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear as both met and dropped Robin and Margot’s gaze several times as they let the two beaming brunettes escort them over to the kitchen table both blushing pink when their chairs were pulled out for them.

“Zelena you won’t believe the trip we had but Captain Guyliner called and said that there was some kind of new uproar with the natives, so we had to cut it short, but I have so many pictures to show you and honestly sis you better have a good reason to be avoi……Who the hell are they and why are they in your house?” Regina asked coming in the front door with a smile that quickly melted into a warry glare at seeing three strangers sitting around Zelena’s dining room table.

“Hi, Aunty Ginna.” Little Robin greeted pushing her chair away from the table running over to hug her disbelieving aunt with a happy giggling laugh “This is my new friends cute Alice, Pretty Alice and Other Robin.” The five-year-old explained pointing to younger Alice, Tilly, and Margot in turn as she introduced them. “Don’t I look pretty all grown up Aunty Ginna?” the little girl questioned pointing out her older self proudly and making Margot duck her head in embarrassment and shyness at the same time. “And the bestest part is that I when I grow up I get to be friends with Pretty Alice just like aunty Snow and Uncle David are.” the five-year-old gushed nodding to the interlocked hold Tilly and Margot had on each other’s hands rest on the tabletop between their plates.

“Zelena living room…. Now please.” The former Evil Queen forced out gently setting her niece down on her feet but didn’t let go of her hand eyeing the trio at the table unbelieving.


	6. Reality Comes Kicking in the Door

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All scenes being quoted are not mine they belong to the Once series I'm just borrowing some of the dialogue.

“Go ahead and start everyone. We’ll be back soon.” Zelena sighed waiting until everyone -including Regina- had filled their plate with food before pushing her chair away from the table a move her sister who she’d talked into sitting at the other end of the table mirrored at once still glaring with uneasy annoyance at the grown-up version of her niece.

After just a few bits Margot pushed her plate away letting out a long breath waiting for the storm to break as she watched just how wildly her aunt was gesturing while she talked hating that Regina had made a kind of soundproof bubble in the living room, so she could both keep an eye on the four still seated at the table as well as grill her sister about what was going on without them overhearing her.

“Hey, Targo.” Tilly said again nudging her elbow into Margot’s side to get her attention “Not nice to stare love.” She whispered nodding back to her barely touched plate of roast chicken with little roasted vegetables and mac and cheese.

“Stay here babe.” The archer answered in a low voice grateful that at least her and Tilly’s younger selves weren’t as uneasy about Regina’s anger as she was with the distraction of food in front of them. “I’ll be right back.” Margot promised sliding her chair away from the table just to lean back over to press a departing kiss against the top of Tilly’s head making both the five and seven-year-old at the table blush similar shades of pink into their plates.

Margot felt the pull of magic wash over her the second she stepped past the arm of the sofa pausing both to pick up what she needed to end this little argument once and for all and to be sure the magical barrier was still in place so at least the two at the table didn’t hear when a few choice curses slipped from her aunt’s lips in her frustration.

“And you just let them into your house?” her Aunt was finishing up once Margot’s little test was over and she was satisfied that the spell was still in place.

Squaring her shoulders, the archer kept moving until she was right behind her simmering aunt. “If you don’t believe her still then just do the Emma thing on me already so we can all get back to a nice dinner please.” She suggested folding her arms across her chest.

“The what?” Regina asked puzzled, but her confusion was only for a few seconds once Margot held up the dreamcatcher toward her “Like when you Mom and Dad went to Camelot with Emma and the Charming’s aunty Gina.” She reminded her pushing the deep blue thing into the other woman’s hand.

Regina shared a look with Zelena who only shrugged in answer moving closer when the former Evil Queen help the catcher up and Margot took a deep breath seconds before the hand was waved in front of her making her memories visible to the other two.

_‘Thankfully she has her father’s aim.’_

_‘Aunt Regina I am so sorry I thought you were an intruder.’_

_‘Those were just warning shots, weren’t they?’_

_“I’m impressed…. You’re getting good.’_

_‘Of course, Mother just warning shots.’_

_‘She has a case of young love,’_

_‘Well, I’m all for you making new friends. Especially cute blonde ones’_

Then after a short pause in her memories, Margot’s eyes flicker over to meet Tilly’s nervous-looking gaze part of her wondering how she’d managed to stay sitting at the table all this time given the amount of curious worry in her eyes.

_‘Don’t move spy.’_

_‘He’d say Starfish you meet loads of people in this world. But the best ones. They challenge you. Make you see the world through a whole new looking glass.’_

_‘You’re lucky. I never knew mine’_

_‘All I have is his name and his legacy to uphold’_

_‘I’ve escaped these walls but I’m still bloody trapped.’_

_‘We’ll always know each other even if we don’t.’_

Both her mother and her aunt were staring in watery eyed amazement at the no longer glowing dreamcatcher as it drops from Margot’s shaking grip only to be caught by Tilly while the blonde’s free hand slips into the archer’s keeping her standing.

“Alright then.” Regina hiccupped hastily whipping her tears away when she still worried look in her now adult niece’s eyes behind the glare of her glasses.

“Can I at least have a hug before we go finish up dinner monkey?” Regina asks holding out her arms which Margot steps into without another thought.

***************

“We’re not sending her back to that tower.” Margot growled turning away from washing dishes with Tilly to look at her mother and her aunt with a deeply horrified look that the subject had been brought up in the first place. She didn’t even care in the least if her loud words somehow woke the two younger occupants who’d long since fallen asleep against one another while watching cartoons on the sofa just a few feet away.

“Darling…..” Zelena started in reaching across the table for her hand when the darker haired blonde stomped over to collect the last of the dishes from the table, but Margot snatched it away nearly knocking over her chair in the process as she stepped back to head back to the sink. “You are not sending the love of my life back to that hell tower Mother. Not while I’m around to stop you.” The archer snarled dumping the last of the dishes into the soapy water.

“Margot that’s enough.”

If the command hadn’t come from her Alice she might have punched someone at the hand on her arm leading her back to sit at the table.

“Targo.” Alice sighted when the enraged archer slumped in her chair like a sulking child letting out a deep steadily breath not realizing until she had sat down that the room had started to spin. “Thank you….Nobin.” Tilly whispered pressing a little kiss against her hairline.

The upset brunette grunted at the comment leaning into the arms now wrapped around her waist “You know that I….that she has to go back love.” Alice whispered her voice threatening to crack when she picked up on the tears damping her shoulder when Margot nuzzled closer shaking her head in continued defiance, so Alice hurried on as her own tears started to fall. “She has to go back so the timelines can stay on course and she becomes me, so I can fall in love with you all over again.” the blonde pointed out pressing a kiss against the side of Margot’s head she could easily reach feeling an answering one against the hollow of her throat as her upset archer hugged onto her tighter “We’ve both known this from the second we laid eyes on our younger selves’ love.”

“They can’t remember meeting each other until they are us reliving all of this.” Margot finished for her straightening herself up yet still leaning with her head resting against Alice’s shoulder. “That doesn’t make it hurt any less.” She argued resentfully.

“But we can’t just split them up right away.” Zelena stepped in hating how upset her little girl was becoming. “I mean can’t….can’t we give them at least a little more time together first?”

“I agree sis, but we can’t just let them keep bonding it would be just like what Mom did to us when we were kids.” Regina pointed out

“How is this in any way comparable to what Grandma Cora did?” Margot questioned hotly folding her arms over her chest. Tilly sighed knowing this was still a sour subject between the sisters. “It’s either repress our memories or destroy our entire timeline back home.” She reminded them all, but they could all hear the crack in her voice.

“However.” Zelena hissed in a loud whisper before her grown-up daughter could start to come up with a way to argue back. “I’m sure it will take her a few days to get everything together, so I think a few more days can be arranged.” She waited until everyone around the table nodded in agreement to the plane before pushing away from the table. “Now its past your bedtime Monkey go get some rest.” The mother suggested just when Margot was trying to hide a yawn behind her hand.

“You can take the guest room, Aunty Gina.” The darker haired blonde offered nuzzling against the pillow she’d made of Tilly’s shoulder. “Campout in front of the sofa?” Tilly smiled wrapping her arm around Margot’s shoulder “Still in the same place.” The archer agreed nodding to the hall closet where they kept the spare blankets and comforters not realizing until it had been pointed out to her how tired she’d become.

No one noticing as they broke away to their respective sleeping areas that for one the sound muffling spell had long since worn off between the living and dining room and worse still that one of the two younger girls curled up on the couch had been listening in on everything they had said only to pretend to be sleeping when her older self peeked over the back of the couch to check on them.


	7. Running Down the Rabbit Hole

Robin like early mornings. She liked how she could just wander around the sleepy quiet of the streets with only her own thoughts and her backpack for company. A backpack that she would keep stocked with a few snacks and juice boxes maybe a coloring book or real book or two along with a box of crayons and a jacket all rolled up and carried with her like in the stories her Mom and Aunt Gina would tell her about her Dad. How he’d sometimes have to live out of a backpack and sleep under the stars from time to time.

The five-year-old liked to think she was somehow carrying at least some of her Daddy’s tradition every time she’d head out like she had every morning since she was four to go watch the dull gray of the sky turn into the prettiest shades of purples and pinks she’d ever seen in her young life as the sun rose over the trees in the woods beside the town and today was no different. Only this time she wouldn’t be going out into the sleepy world alone.

Alice liked that idea as well eagerly jumping at the offer to watch the sunrise with her new friend and even commenting as she and Robin quietly slipped out of cute Robin’s bedroom window that it was something she and her Papa did every day since Alice could remember.

The girls were each wearing a pair of Robin’s kicking boots and a hastily tossed on jacket over their mismatched pajamas with Robin wearing the pants from one set and a shirt from another while Alice had on the reverse set her friend had let her borrow the night before, so she wouldn’t have to sleep in her nice dress that unknown to the blonde was currently stashed in the almost too big  _Star Wars_ backpack Robin was carrying along with anything else the five-year-old could think of that they might need for their trip.

“Maybe we should go back and wake up pretty Robin, so she can come with us.” Alice suggested a full two and a half blocks away from the house. The young blonde was happily holding onto her friend’s hand letting her lead the way to some special secret place she wanted to show her that they could play and maybe even have a breakfast tea party as they watched the sunrise, but she couldn’t help the longing she had for the pretty older girl that had helped her when that evil tree had tried to eat her foot.

Robin shook her head the determined look never leaving her eyes “I asked her yesterday if she wanted to come and she said it’d be okay if it was just us going so we could talk and stuff.” The younger girl fibbed shifting the pack into a more comfortable position against her back. “Other Robin told me I had to keep you safe and that’s what I’m gonna do.” The little brunette confessed pulling them to a stop outside one of the towns thrift stores.

“But I am safe.” Alice pointed out with a little laugh “I’m with you.” The blonde smiled moving closer to pull the other girl into a hug.

Robin blushed hugging her back as tight as a five-year-old could hug someone even being so bold as to press a little kiss against Alice’s cheek before pulling back to look into her eyes. “That means you trust me?” the darker haired blonde wondered taking her hand again at cute Alice’s blushing node and tugging her down a side alley when a glance across the road told her that Granny was heading out of the diner across the street to put the open sign out in front of the diner.

The town was waking up. She had to hurry if she wanted to save her friend.

******(changing over to the Adult Alice & Robin now)********

Thanks to her cursed memories Alice was unsure if she really liked or disliked mornings. On the one hand, waking up in her girlfriend’s arms was something that she always savored that gratefully had carried over to her cursed self in the warm safe feelings warming her heart when Tilly would accidentally fall asleep while cuddled up against Margot during a movie date night. Even when a day waking up in Margot’s arms turned into a bad one the second she stepped out into the world.

Now Alice was wiser in realizing that every one of Tilly’s ‘bad days’ were just her own memories trying to push past the haze of the curse to remind the confused blonde of who she really was on those rare days Tilly didn’t have the added help of her pills keeping Alice repressed in a room in her mind. A fact Robin had repeatedly apologized for unintentionally helping with when the archer remembered all the times Margot had either prodded (always gently but prodded nonetheless) the medication into the rambling blonde's hand and told her to take them or just casually reminded Tilly over the phone during the days they’d have a cute over a phone call breakfast date to take them before heading into work.

“Care to share what’s going on in that beautiful mind of yours Tower Girl?” Robin whispered against her ear pulling Alice back to her own mind with a teasing giggle and the pleasing feel of nibbling kisses being places along the cords of her throat.

Alice paused tilting her head back against her true love’s shoulder with a low exhaled breath “Just thinking about how happy I am that you’re in my life.” She admitted picking up the cup Robin had just set down letting the hot liquid inside it warm her hands back up in the chilly morning air just as the first rays of the morning sun crested the tree line ahead of them while the darker haired blonde finished settling herself in behind her on the laid-out blanket they’d brought with them that morning.

It had worried the blonde a little when she and Robin had woken up only to find that their younger selves weren’t still snuggled up on the sofa beside them in the quiet house but after a sleepy shrug from Robin and the promise of a shared breakfast from the diner her archer had been raving about since before the curse Alice had put the thoughts out of her mind for the time being knowing that even when she might be a younger version of her love her Robin was more than capable of taking care of herself.

Well, that and an adorably written crayon note the younger girl had left with her name on it on the coffee table telling them that she’d just taken little Alice out to see the sunrise at the ‘castle’.

“Mom?” Robin wondered when her phone started ringing and breaking the quiet calm of cuddling against her true love in library rooftop in the morning. “Hang on hang on hang on Mom slow down….” Robin stammered as she listened to the other end of the call. “No, they aren’t with us but they said they'd be….” she explained feeling Alice shift uneasily in her arms scooting closer to try and listen in as well when Zelena quickly started talking again more frantically than before. 

“Okay, we’ll meet you there in ten.” She promised closing the phone with shaking hands and whispered curses. “Seems I fell for one of my own ruses.” She admitted getting to her feet with Alice close behind her “Aunt Regina went to pick up little you and mini-me from the park but they weren’t there and Mom says that the magic bean she’d been hiding is also missing.”


	8. Cookies, Apples & Spells

Robin didn’t stop walking until she and Alice were right in front of the tree the five-year-old considered her special secret hide away from the world. In truth, it was just an old lookout post from when the original Robin Hood and his friends had set up around their camp that little Robin had found the year before playing in the woods and had spent the next month a half fixing up all by herself making it into her own little tree house.

“This place is amazing.” Alice praised not caring in the least about the feeling of once again being in a tower what with the high they had to climb to reach the little house in the trees. “It used to belong to my Dad.” The younger girl admitted once the rope ladder she’d made to get in and out had been pulled up then pointed out the window giving herself some kind of distraction from the sadness she always felt at not being able to really know her own father. “See just like I promised.” She smiled pulling her backpack into her lap as she sat down at the little table she’d set up pulling out juice boxes and Ziploc bags of snacks.

“What are these?” Alice asked taking a seat beside the brunette curiously picking up one of the cookies and examining it with interest. “There cookies.” The younger girl promised taking a two of the candy-coated animal crackers she’d just laid out and putting them into her mouth. “There really good.” She said talking around the cookies was still trying to eat so her ‘r’s came out like ‘w’s. Alice still seemed warry but took a bite of her cookie making Robin grin when her eyes widened and the surprised little groan she let out “I didn’t know you could put candy on cookies and they still taste good.” The blonde gushed taking a few more cookies while Robin looked out the window making sure that no one (Other Robin) was coming after them. She knew they had to keep moving if she was going to keep Alice from having to go back to what her older self-described as a ‘hell tower’ especially when she remembered reading about the underworld from her cousin Henry’s book, but she also didn’t want to scare Alice with using magic to run away.

“If you like candy on cookies you should try candy on apples.” The younger brunette smiled turning away from the window after a sweep of the ground below them found nothing out of the ordinary.

Alice laughed at that shaking her head in disbelief “Candy can’t be good on fruit.” She countered looking over the coloring books from Robin’s backpack for something to color. “I’ll get you a candy apple sometime, so you can see that you can put candy on anything and make it taste good if you try hard enough.” The brunette promised taking her seat beside the cute blonde.

The warm feeling in Robin’s chest at Alice’s laughter had nothing to do with the sun pouring into the little house in the trees. “Hey, Alice.” The younger girl started reaching out to cover one of the blonde’s free hand in her own once she noted the little box Alice had fished out of her backpack along with the box of crayons. “I have ta tell you something.”

***************

“As I have already said, Mom. I don’t remember where mini-me is right now and neither does Alice cause if either of us did we would already be going there to get her and my little rook.” Robin growled defensively as she threw herself down on the couch beside the adult blonde who immediately wrapped her arms around her in a soothing hug. “I love you too little knight.” Alice whispered against her ear bringing out the start of a blush in Robin’s cheeks.

“I still say we should go ask Granny for help.” Regina sighted resting her elbows against her knees while she ran her fingers in her hair while her sister continued wading a trench in her living room floor.

“Oh, please if I would trust one of those strays to track down my daughter I’d at least pick the one that’s good looking in red now trolling around Oz with that Munchkin saving thorn in my side.” Zelena snapped biting her nails in worry.

“Come on Mom. Everyone in town knows that Granny didn’t know Emma was going to spell those onion rings you really have to let that go. And come on Aunty Gina you know how crazy Granny’s gets during the lunch rush even for her to help with this.” Robin sighed finally managing to bring a semblance of a laugh from Alice for the first time since the pair had returned to the house. “And didn’t you say Red and Dorothy were going to visit Mulan and Merida for the wedding.” Alice reminded the brunette tilting her head back against her shoulder while they stayed cuddled together on the couch.

“Yeah but that was before everything went down but that is in our timeline and I think in this one Red and Dorothy are still on their honeymoon and Mulan and Merida are still only thinking about dating right now.” When her words were met with quiet disbelief and slight curiosity Robin elaborated “I was six and got to be the ring bearer for them when they came back to town for a visit and renewed their vows.”

“Yes, all of this is fascinating, but it isn’t solving where my daughter is and more to the point if she and her cute blonde friend are even still in Storybrooke.” Zelena interjected making Alice blush at the compliment then an idea struck her. “How about doing that enchanted tracking thing like Robin say you used with Emma and Aladdin?” That had three sets of eyes falling on her with mixes of surprise and in Robin’s case prideful amusement. “Or just use something belonging to little me and use that tracking spell potion thingy.” The archer jumped in blanching at the thought of needing to drink anything with snake tongue in it even if it was to find her younger self.

The two former villains exchanged a look “Worth a shot.” Robin shrugged while Alice squirmed around then held out the child-sized shirt she’d just found stuffing between the couch cushions.


	9. That’s Enough Lion Around

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning this might get weird but I wanted to bring in some Little Robin & Alice magic :)

It broke her heart when she’d finished telling Alice everything she’d heard the night before and being the reason, her new friend was now crying into her shoulder. “I don’t want to go back.” She pleaded hugging onto Robin for all she was worth “I miss my Papa, but I don’t want to go back there.” she hiccupped while Robin was busy holding in her own tears while she smoothed out Alice’s hair just holding her while the cute blonde cried herself out like her Mom or her Aunt does for her when she’s upset. “But that’s why I brought you here.” The aspiring archer admitted hugging Alice closer against her chest. “If Mommy and Aunt Gina can’t find you they can’t send you away and make us forget each other.” She reasoned offering the teary-eyed blonde the rest of the chocolate covered animal crackers to help make her feel just a little bit better while they made themselves more comfortable on the sun-warmed floor of her tree house.

Alice had changed back into her dress by this point reasoning that since they weren’t sleeping they shouldn’t be in their sleeping clothes. Robin hastily turning around and even covering her eyes while the other girl changed. She didn’t turn around until Alice had refolded her borrowed clothes and put them back into the backpack.

“But what about other Alice and pretty Robin?” the blonde in her arms wondered leaning her head against Robin’s shoulder much like she’d seen her older self doing the night before with pretty Alice. Not that she would admit it, but the action made her all warm and happy inside despite the tears still sliding down Alice’s cheeks into the shoulder of her shirt. “You said they don’t remember right now but they could use some kind of magic way to find us. They’ll bring your Mom and your Aunt, and they’ll send me back to that place.” Alice hated to think the beautiful archer would ever betray her like that given how much Robin had said she was against it, but she wasn’t about to think the other three would somehow talk her into it again.

Robin stays quiet for a moment carding her fingers in Alice’s hair as she thought it over “My aunty Gina has magic, but I do too. I’ve hear her and Mommy talking about it when they think I’m asleep. So, if I have magic I can keep you safe.” Robin vowed snuggling against Alice’s side. “I have magic too.” Alice whispered wiping the last of her tears away, “I got it from that Monster who thinks she’s my Mother.” She growled lifting her head from Robin’s shoulder “It’s nothing really fancy.” the blonde explained her worried voice fading at Robin’s excited smile “Can I see please?” The five-year-old asked making Alice blush then point to a pot of withered flowers on a shelf close by. Robin scrambled up to get it for her before she could ask setting it down and reclaiming her seat beside her friend.

“Wow.” The younger girl gasped with just a few brushes of her fingers across the dead leaves made them healthy and alive again. Alice grin in pride at the happy reaction carefully pulling one of the smaller blossoms from the flower “Hold out your hand.” She whispered encouragingly balancing the little flower against the back of her friend’s hand using her magic to twist the stem around her finger making the thing into a little flower ring.

Robin had only a few minutes to admire the pretty thing on her finger before one of the little dusty bells on the wall let out a rusty little ring in warning. “We gotta get moving.” She confessed when it rang again a little louder this time. “They found us.” Alice guessed earning a fast node from the brunette as she helped Robin hastily repack her backpack this time adding a few extra things from around the little shack before it was zipped up “Ready? We’ll need to distract them with something just to be sure they don’t catch up.” Robin mused sliding her hand into Alice’s and pulling her toward the trap door.

“I have an idea but I’m going to need help. My magic isn’t that strong to last for very long.” Alice admitted as Robin lowered the rope ladder down to the ground.

***************

“How could you not see that?” Regina scolded hating that they had to stop when her older sister got her foot caught in a kind of snare trap tree vine. “There’s no time to argue here you and Robin keep going I’ll help her.” The older Alice insisted just as Zelena growled back with: “Now isn’t’ the time for this Regina go after my daughter.” as the blonde dropped to her knees beside the struggling former villain who was just making her entanglement worse the more she struggled to free herself “Go before you lose the trail.” Alice growled her eyes burning with an unyielding kind of blue fire when Robin looked like she was going to argue.

Robin nodded reluctantly jogging after her aunt already a good distance ahead of them. “Alice’s mother was a wood nymph we need to be careful.” The archer pointed out “What like with that snare trap?” Regina wondered with a laugh ducking a low handing tree limb. “No now I think about it I think that was one of Dad’s old traps.” Robin admitted “Like the ones…..” she started to say then stopped her eyes unfocused as she thought over something. “We need to hurry.” The elder archer insisted breaking into a run just as Alice came speeding toward them with Zelena trailing after her.

“What’s wrong with you two?” the former Wicked Witch panted but both women were already deep in out of breath conversation while the shirt they were meant to be following floated deeper and deeper into the trees.

“It’ll come this way. You go around it and cut them off and I’ll stay here and give it something to chase.” Alice suggested pointing to the quiet tree line ahead of them while pushing Robin to the little trail off to there right. “Why me? You’re faster than I am and we both know it.” Robin pointed out, but Alice was already shaking her head “You know these woods better than I do you grew up here. Besides, you have always wanted to see what it was like over there. Just remember everything I’ve told you and you’ll be alright.” The blonde reminded her making the other two exchange a confused look when they finally caught up with them.

“Give what something to chase?” Zelena questioned, “Yeah what are you two talking about?” Regina finished when on her next move forward caused a concealed net to spring up trapping both witches in the air. “haha seems dear old Dad took a page from Uncle David’s book about how to catch women only this time he made it witch proof.” Robin laughed when her aunt let out a string of curses when trying to magic herself and her sister back to the ground failed.

“Nobin.” Alice growled pulling the chuckling archer back to the task at hand when a loud crack of twisting tree branches reached their ears. “Laugh later babe run now.” The blonde insisted her eyes trained on the tree line ahead.

Robin paused long enough to press a hard kiss against Alice’s lips before dashing off into the trees ignoring both her mother and her aunt’s screaming questions of where she was going. “I’m giving  ** _that_**  something to chase.” Alice answered her eyes now trained on the charging thing that seemed to the remaining three to be a growing lioness that had been made with large twisted tree branches and other plant life along her path toward them. “I’ll be back soon.” the blonde promised the two still trapped in the net taking off as quickly as she could in the other direction.


	10. Trust

They didn’t make it easy on her. Robin was about to give up any hope she had on finding them in time when a stroke of pure luck snapped her back on track well that and the act that her younger self slipped in her hast to guide a concentrating young Alice over the uneven terrain close by where the searching archer was standing giving them away.

“It’s getting too far I can’t.” the little blonde was saying her eyes closed tight and her hands humming in magic pressed against one of the young pins beside them.

“They should be far enough by now its okay to stop.” Young Robin urged seeing just how much effort Alice was using just to keep the spell going.

“We don’t have a lot of time.” Margot advised making both of the younger girls start in surprise stepping out from her concealed place among the trees just in time to catch younger Alice before she fell the use of so much magic a strain on her no matter the age. “I’ve got her you just get that magic bean working before they find us.” The archer insisted when her younger self looked ready for an all-out war.

“You have your Alice this one is mine and you want to take her away.” Robin pointed out close to tears already as she rounded on the archer.

“Look kid we can stand here arguing about this and let Mom and Regina catch up making this little trip of ours all for nothing or you can so get your big kid pants on get that bean working and save the girl be both love.” Margot shot back her anger easing just a little when she felt little Alice’s arms hugging tightly around her neck just as her Alice’s had held around her waist just minutes before.

Rather than answer Robin leaned forward tucking a loose lock of hair behind Alice’s ear as she rested against Margot’s chest. “I don’t know where to go I just want her safe.” The younger Mills confessed “I want that too. All I’ve ever wanted since I first met her back in my own timeline was to protect her.” Margot answered just as quietly watching the younger version of her girlfriend sleep. “I know where to go but you have to trust me.” She continued holding out her free hand toward the younger Mills.

******

“Where did they go?” Zelena yelled skidding to a stop beside the quietly crying blonde. She and Regina had thought Tilly had caught up with them in time given how fast she’d been running ahead of them even after running all over the woods keeping that lion from getting to them stuck as they had been in that forsaken net. “What’s that?” Regina tried again noticing the two things the younger woman was holding tightly against her chest.

“Robin’s gone.” Was all Tilly said pocketing both the note and the arrow it had been tied to as she turned her back on the two witches “And going by the color of the portal they took they could have only gone to one place.” She added already pulling away when she felt Zelena’s hand closing around her upper arm to stop her.

“What do you mean going by the color of the portal?” Regina asked confused, but her comment was overpowered by her sister demand of “So where in the bloody realms is my daughter.”

“Wonderland.”


End file.
